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Umbrella slug

Distribution : Mediterranean · Indian Ocean · Pacific Ocean · Caribbean Sea

In ancient depictions, a parasol is sometimes a mark of status, held above a person during a procession. The Latin word ‘umbraculum’ survived into zoological naming. It now refers to a large marine gastropod whose shell looks like a small, flat hat and seems out of proportion on its warty back. The animal cannot retract into the shell, which provides only partial protection.

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Habitat of Umbrella slug Habitat
Sand, Rocky habitat, Seagrass meadow
Depth range of Umbrella slug Depth
5-50 m
Biological group of Umbrella slug Group
Ecological role of Umbrella slug Role
Predator

Average size

15 cm

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

The small shell on the back of the umbrella slug (Umbraculum umbraculum) is external. Flat and rounded, it sits above a much broader fleshy body whose outline extends well beyond it.

Large irregular bumps give relief to the beige, brown or orange surface. The shell may blend visually with organisms covering it, but it is not hidden inside the body.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

The Umbrella slug lives on seabeds, mainly rocky ones, from shallow areas down to several dozen metres. It is often associated with sponge-rich environments. It can also occur on mixed seabeds combining sand and rock.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

The umbrella slug can surround a sponge with the front of its mantle and rasp tissues using its radula. This grazing targets animal prey: sponges, particularly demosponges, provide its food. Several species are eaten, without a firmly established single preference. Processing leaves traces in casts, where mineral sponge spicules can form little mucus-bound packages. Feeding combines contact with the food surface, rasping and tissue ingestion.

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Umbrella slug

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Other species — Mollusc

Common cuttlefish Banded murex European Squid Mediterranean Helmet Shell Giant Doris Tortoiseshell sea slug Common octopus White-spotted octopus

Same habitat and depth

Sandy seabed species Rocky seabed species Seagrass meadow species

Same ecological role and depth

Predatory species

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DEPTH HABITAT PHYLA ECOLOGICAL ROLE